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Dental sealants on children

Dental sealants can prevent tooth decay and cavities

A dental sealant is a thin plastic coating applied to the biting surfaces of back teeth to prevent tooth decay and cavities. Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases among children ages 6 to 19 years.

Minnesota third grade public school students with at least one dental sealant on a permanent molar tooth by free and reduced price lunch eligibility, 2015

Percent third grade public school students with at least one dental sealant on a permanent molar tooth

95% Confidence Interval

Low (25.0% or less FRPL) - higher income households

68.0%

62.8 to 73.2

Mid-low (25.1 to 50% FRPL)

57.5%

51.5 to 63.5

Mid-high (50.1 to 75% FRPL)

57.7%

49.6 to 65.8

High (more than 75% FRPL) - lower income households

44.9%

33.0 to 56.8

Free and reduced price lunch eligibility is a common alternative measure for the percentage of children within public schools from lower income households. Bars represent the percentage of unduplicated third graders within free and reduced price lunch eligibility subcategories.

Free and reduced price lunch eligibility is a common alternative measure for the percentage of children within public schools from lower income households.

68 percent of third grade students in public schools with low free and reduced price lunch eligibility have at least one dental sealant on a permanent molar tooth.

45 percent of third grade students in public schools with high free and reduced price lunch eligibility have at least one dental sealant on a permanent molar tooth.

In 2015, third graders enrolled in public schools with low free and reduced price lunch eligibility (higher income households) were 1.5 times more likely to have dental sealants compared with third graders in public schools with high free and reduced price lunch eligibility (lower income households).

More than half of Minnesota third graders have dental sealants

6 out of every 10 Minnesota third graders (59.6%)

Have at least one dental sealant 2015

The rate of dental sealants on at least one permanent molar tooth in Minnesota was nearly 60 percent in 2015 or 6 out of every 10 third graders. The United States median (1998 to 2015) was 44 percent or 4 out of every 10 third graders.